A new trial over the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona began Tuesday in Argentina, nearly a year after the initial proceedings collapsed following a scandal involving one of the presiding judges.
Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from surgery for a brain clot.
Prosecutors allege that his seven-member medical team acted with gross negligence in managing his home recovery, ultimately contributing to the circumstances that led to his death.
According to forensic experts, the former Argentina national football team captain died from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema—a condition in which fluid accumulates in the lungs—two weeks after undergoing surgery.
The earlier trial collapsed last year after two months of testimony, including emotional accounts from Maradona’s children, when it was revealed that judge Julieta Makintach had participated in a clandestine documentary about the case.
The documentary allegedly included unauthorized recordings from inside the courtroom, leading authorities to annul the trial.
The new proceedings, taking place in the northern Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro, are expected to hear testimony from around 120 witnesses as the court examines whether members of Maradona’s medical team should be held responsible for his death.
Among those present at the opening session were Maradona’s daughters—Dalma, Gianinna and Jana—as well as his former partner Veronica Ojeda.
During the hearing, defense lawyer Francisco Oneto requested that the entire trial be broadcast live on television, rather than limiting coverage to the opening day and the announcement of the verdict.
The accused doctors, psychologists and nurses face charges of homicide with possible intent, meaning they are suspected of continuing a course of action despite knowing it could potentially lead to death.
If convicted, they could face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.
However, the defense insists that the football icon died of natural causes and denies any criminal wrongdoing.
“There was no malicious plan to kill Maradona,” said Vadim Mischanchuk, lawyer for psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, in an interview with Radio Con Vos over the weekend.
The trial is expected to run until at least July.
Maradona’s death in 2020 triggered an outpouring of grief across Argentina and around the world. The passing of the star who led Argentina to victory at the 1986 FIFA World Cup plunged the country into mourning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Buenos Aires to pay their respects as the body of the legendary former Boca Juniors and SSC Napoli forward lay in state at the presidential palace.
